You Are Not Alone
by Thine Dreamer Doth Take Flight
Summary: Darkness takes over Feena's mind and she feels like she's been pushed over the edge. This depression causes her to believe she's beyond saving, but her friends aren't ready to let her go. A hurt/comfort story written to help me feel better with an OCxCanon pairing. Enjoy!


_A/N: This is my second attempt at a **Sonic** story, and hopefully it goes better than the first. Since I'm feeling down in the dumps, I figured I'd channel that into my character, Feena the Fox, and see if that helps any. If you don't like OCs or a canon character being paired with an OC, please leave now without flaming. Otherwise please read on and enjoy._

* * *

You Are Not Alone

Feena sighed as light filtered into her room through the sheer curtains in front of her window, wishing she didn't have to get up but knowing there was no point in trying to sleep anymore. As slowly as possible, the white fox forced herself into the seated position and pushed aside her sheets before proceeding to stand. Her furry hair was tangled and messy, but she could care less. Trivial things like her looks were the furthest things from her mind. A darkness had taken hold of her mind for a reason beyond her understanding and she could not shake it no matter how hard she tried. It had been plaguing her for awhile now, but she had done her best to hide it from her friends.

It seemed to be working. No one, not even those closest to her, seemed to notice her inner struggle. Knuckles, Star, and Fang didn't notice a thing different about her, so she knew for sure she was succeeding. She didn't want to worry them over things no one could change like her emotions and mindset. Those were things she alone had to deal with, and if she couldn't sort them through at the moment, it was better to leave them be.

After a quick shower she changed into her usual attire—a violet shirt with a light blue star and light blue pants with black-and-white shoes—and slipped her black choker on around her throat. Her scarred left eye was quickly covered as usual by her black-and-white hair as to not be seen. She didn't bother with breakfast as she didn't feel hungry and just left her home, wondering what the day might have in store for her that could shake her from her depressing funk.

She headed over to Star the Koala's home. The orange-furred pink-haired Mobian was up as expected and busy in her garage with their friend, the green-furred lavender-haired Fang the Jackal. The duo was laughing when Feena entered, but their laughter was quickly silenced when they realized they were no longer alone. Feena felt their eyes on her awkwardly and the darkness pressed further on her mind, making her want to isolate herself even further. She did her best to smile, to cover up what they might have otherwise seen through in an instant.

"Hey, guys," she murmured without sounding hurt in the slightest though inside she felt some discontent. "Sorry for dropping in unannounced, but I figured you wouldn't mind."

"No, of course not, Feena," Star said with a smile that Feena believed to be forced.

"In fact, we were just about to call you and see if you wanted to have a band meeting to discuss our tour schedule. It's been awhile since we held a concert, and we were thinking that it's time to hold one again before we start losing fans," Fang told her.

"We were even cracking jokes about who our fans would go to if we didn't entertain them soon," Star piped in with a little snort as she recalled a particularly funny comment Fang had made at another band's expense.

"Another concert, huh?" Feena figured such a thing was necessary, especially in their line of work. They were performers, a band, and their lives revolved around pleasing an audience with their music. If they failed to do so, people would stop waiting up for them and would go somewhere else for enjoyment. Star and Fang had a point, but the thought of singing did not bring joy into Feena's heart as it would have before. The darkness in her mind, that overwhelming depression, kept it at bay. Because of that, she found that she had no desire to perform. She couldn't just come out and say that, however, so she had to approach the subject carefully. "…How soon were you thinking we would have it?"

"Tonight, if that's not too short notice," Star replied.

"…It's not…But I don't think that tonight's a good night. I, uh, didn't get much sleep last night and…I would be yawning more than I would be singing. The fans wouldn't very much like that," Feena told them, only half-lying. Sleep was hard to come by, but usually she could work through fatigue to do the job she loved. Today, or rather this week, just wouldn't allow that.

Fang frowned as she looked at the fox with concerned pink eyes. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired," Feena told her with a kind smile.

"Probably from all those nights thinking dirty thoughts about Shadow and wishing those thoughts could come true," Star teased, snorting all the while.

"That's not the reason at all!" Feena snapped suddenly. Startled, Star lost her smile and looked at the brown-eyed girl with wide eyes along with Fang. The singer took a deep breath and turned away from her band members. "Look, I'm sorry I yelled, but you shouldn't bring up the fact that I like Shadow all the time. My feelings for him don't matter because he doesn't return them, so why the hell would I have sleepless nights over something that isn't going to happen? I just didn't sleep and that's that, okay?"

Fang frowned. "…Okay."

Feena turned her back on the duo, losing her mask momentarily. She hadn't meant to raise her voice to her friends, but Star had hit a sensitive note by mentioning Shadow's name. That hedgehog was only her friend, and barely that, and there was no changing that no matter how much Feena wished she could. He had loved before, a human girl Maria, and had related to another girl named Molly, but both had died before his eyes. She couldn't blame him for being distant to people—everyone he had ever cared for was no longer among the living—but still, a part of her wanted more than anything for him to open his heart to her so he wouldn't have to be alone anymore. Her face reflected this now where no one could see it, urged forward by the darkness in her mind, and she felt tears in her eyes. She shook them away, put her mask back in place, and shoved the darkness back into the recesses of her thoughts so it would not make her lash out again.

"…We won't put on any concerts until you're up for it, Feena. Just know that whatever's bothering you, it's not healthy to keep it in. It'll just apply more and more pressure until one day the pressure becomes too much and you explode emotionally. I don't want to see that happen to you," Fang told her pointedly as she and Star, who was still upset from being snapped at, walked into her line of vision.

"If there was something wrong with me, I would tell you," Feena lied, meeting Fang's pink gaze evenly.

"You don't have to tell me anything. I know I'm not close enough to you for that," Fang admitted. "Just find someone to talk to, like Knuckles or Tails or even Shadow, before you end up doing something you'll regret that will hurt the people that care about you."

Feena knew what she was implying and wondered if it was possible that she would ever go that far with the darkness pressing on her mind. "…Where will you go?"

"…Somewhere in reach for when you want to be yourself once more, for we cannot help you where you are," Fang replied before she and Star walked away.

_Fang…You knew all along, didn't you? You are more perceptive than I thought. I didn't suspect anyone of knowing the truth—you gave no indication. You probably didn't want to alarm Star,_ Feena thought with a sad smile. _Thank you for that. You're a better friend than anyone gives you credit for being. And you're right…I've been dealing with this darkness in my mind for far too long already. If I keep suppressing it…It's liable to kill me. I need to find someone to talk to now before it's too late._

* * *

Feena looked all over for her friends, but wherever she looked she could find no one. Tails was not in his workshop. Amy was not at home nor could she be found following Sonic because that blue blur was also elusive. Cream, Cheese, and Vanilla were all missing as well. The white fox was not worried for their safety—there were no signs of Eggman's being there, and Sonic would not have been easily defeated by the likes of that mad scientist—but more or less feared for her own. Not being able to find anyone to help her made the darkness in her mind stronger, thus overwhelming her with a sense of hopelessness. She was on the brink of tears by the time she left the Green Hill Zone to head towards the solitary island her closest friend lived on alone.

She slowly made her way up to the Angel Island where Knuckles protected the Master Emerald from those that would misuse it just as they would misuse the Chaos Emeralds, hoping with every fiber of her being that she would find him. She never climbed so high so fast before. All the while, her heart begged to be saved by the presence of her red friend. Just seeing him would take away some of the hurt.

"Knuckles!" Feena screamed as she finally set foot on the island of his domain. "Knuckles! Where are you?! I need you!"

She searched all over the island, but her echidna friend was nowhere to be found. Just like everyone else, he was missing. She stopped running around when she came to stand before the green Master Emerald pulsating with light, having never felt so empty in so long now that she was completely alone with no hope to save herself from the darkness. She collapsed onto the hard surface, releasing a river of tears that she been holding back for so long, feeling more helpless than ever.

The Master Emerald, which used to comfort her in times of suffering whenever she reached out to it, was not so today. It failed to reach her through the darkness, and thus she continued to suffer.

_It's useless…I'll never escape this. I'm going to be cursed with this darkness forever, _the white fox thought morosely. _No one can save me now…I'm lost. I am lost and forgotten. What's the point of trying to go on with this charade? My life means nothing. I should just…give up._

Her mind was set. She had no choice now—the darkness had complete power over her. She would turn to no one—they hadn't been around when she needed them the most—and would not allow herself to suffer through such pain anymore. There was only one way out, a way Fang had wanted her to avoid though she had been the only one of Feena's so-called friends to admit she could not help the white fox and was honest enough to walk out on her.

Feena pulled away from the glowing Emerald, leaving a pool of tears glistening on its surface, and stepped towards the edge, though in her mind she was already over it.

She stopped walking when she had no more land to cover and sadly looked down. The ground was far from where she stood; a fall from here could kill anyone if one was too careless. She wondered if there would be anything left of her after the impact. Life would be gone, of course, but could such an impact completely destroy her body? Feena did not know the answer to that question nor would she ever know. Walking over the edge would be a death sentence and a dead person wouldn't know the answer to such a question as they wouldn't be around to see it. Still, that would not keep her from going over. It had already been decided.

Taking one last look around Angel Island, Feena took a deep breath and stepped forward-

"Feena!"

Before she could plummet to her doom, a red blur tackled her to the ground on the floating island. Her back hit the ground hard and the echidna fell upon her a bit more roughly than he might have intended. Their bodies intermingled on the ground, but there was no time for awkwardness or any emotion but anger on one part and emptiness on the other. He had landed on top of her, thus keeping her from being able to escape to finish arriving at her end.

"What the hell were you doing?!" Knuckles demanded, pinning Feena in place because he knew she might try to run if she wasn't held down.

Anger rose in Feena as she spat, "What the hell do you think I was doing?! Get off of me, you bastard!"

"No! Not until you explain yourself! It's not like you to try something like that, and I wanna know why you would even think of it! Now talk to me!" Knuckles shouted.

"Why would I tell you a damn thing?! You weren't here when I needed you, so you obviously don't give a damn about what happens to me! No one cares what happens to me! I have no friends!" Feena growled. "You just tackled me because you think you care, but you don't or else you would have been here earlier! The time for talking has passed, Knucklehead! It's too late to save me! The darkness has won!"

"I was out talking with the others or else I would have been here earlier! I'm sorry! What matters is that I do care about you and will always care about you and I'd do anything for you! Can't you see that, Feena?!" Knuckles asked.

"No! I can't see it! All I see is darkness closing in around me and there's nothing that can stop it!" Feena rebuked, struggling against his grip. "Now let me go before I make you regret holding me against my will!"

"I'm trying to help you, Feena! Let me!" Knuckles pleaded.

"I don't need your help!" Feena yelled as she kneed him in the groin. He doubled over in pain and loosened his grip, but the discomfort he felt then was nothing compared to what he felt as the white fox unleashed a sonic screech upon him. He released her entirely to cover his eyes from the sound as it drove him to his knees. She took advantage of his weakness to make a mad dash towards the edge again, hoping the damage she had inflicted upon her so-called best friend would be enough to keep him from interfering any further than he had already done.

But just like before when she attempted to take the plunge, she was thwarted. This time, however, it was not by Knuckles. Tails and Cream, along with the Chao Cheese, flew up in front of her and forced her back, causing her to land on her behind. With Knuckles quickly recovering behind her and three adversaries hovering at her front, Feena knew she could no longer attempt to die here. She would have to be quick and find another place to jump from before someone else could stop her. She sprinted past the collapsed crimson echidna before Tails or Cream and Cheese could think to cut her off and towards the edge farthest from them all.

Amy appeared in her line of vision, her Piko-Piko hammer withdrawn and held casually on her shoulder. The pink hedgehog stood where Feena intended to jump, presenting a mild obstacle. One shriek would put her in her place and thus keep her from swinging that infernal weapon of hers. Knowing this, Feena did not slow down at the sight of the female hedgehog. It was only when she realized that someone was running right beside her that she began to second-guess herself. The blue blur at her side could only be one person, and that person could keep her from doing anything at the speeds he could travel.

Realizing this, Feena came to a stop at the center of Angel Island. Her so-called friends, including Star and Fang, formed a circle around her, prepared to do whatever was necessary to keep the white fox from doing anything they deemed stupid. Their abilities combined put up a decent front for her. Even if she was to attempt to use her own ability against them, Sonic could move fast enough to stop her if he wanted to do so. She could not escape them…That was a reality she had no choice but to face and accept.

"…How did you know?" Feena asked of them.

"Fang told us. She saw through your ploy and was worried, and then after you snapped at Star, she knew we had to do something," Amy replied. "We met at Sonic's to discuss what to do about you…We didn't think you would go looking for us that quickly. Just when we were getting somewhere, one of Tails' gadgets alerted him to your presence at his place and we realized we were mistaken and well…"

"It was only a matter of time until you discovered no one was home and would feel abandoned. The last place you would go would be here, Angel Island, considering its location and how annoying it can be to reach," Star put in morosely. "We came here as quickly as we could to save you, to reach out to you. But…It seems we weren't nearly quick enough."

"I got here fast enough, but we don't exactly see eye-to-eye and I didn't think it would be wise to confront you without the others here, too," Sonic admitted, seeming to be a bit mad at himself in hindsight for such a thing.

Feena's eyes widened in surprise. _Sonic was here…? Then…Then he must have seen me crying on the Master Emerald…and calling out for Knuckles…_

"Yeah, I saw your breakdown. I should have approached you then," Sonic, as if he had read her mind, grumbled. "For once, I was too slow, and Knuckles was the only one fast enough to keep you from your unnecessary end. I don't think I've ever seen him move like that before for anyone. But then, what else could I expect from a guy that cares so much about you?"

"…I…I couldn't let you do it…for both our sakes," Knuckles murmured as she met his violet gaze questioningly.

"He may not admit it, but he would have been heartbroken if you perished from this world. His heartache might even have been stronger than ours," Fang commented.

"Your death would have hurt us all," Tails piped in.

"Why are you so sad, Feena?" Cream inquired, finally asking the question of which everyone wanted to know the answer.

Feena sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "…Why? Why? I've been wondering the same thing myself for awhile now. Perhaps it's because I'm lonely. Maybe it's because I'm tired of being alone. Or could it be that I am frustrated with always being rejected by others for things out of my control? Who knows why my mind and heart decided to be invaded by darkness? Certainly not I. But what I do know is this. I'm miserable and I don't belong with you guys. I just don't fit and I'm tired of trying."

"What do you mean by that? Of course you fit with us," Tails insisted.

"No I don't," Feena stated. "Everything I can do, one of you is capable of doing as well. My brainpower is minimal compared to yours, Tails. My kindness dulls next to Cream's. Fang and Star can get along just fine without me, too. And my power of the sonic screech pales when put up against the abilities of those among you. Let's face the facts here, people. I'm not special. I am very replaceable and I carry no weight in this circle of friends beyond being just another body. You don't need me and I don't need the pain."

"You're wrong, Feena! You're not just another body! You're you and there's no one else like you in this world or this universe! We need you just as much as we need each other! I need you more than life itself!" Knuckles shouted, surprising everyone with his words as no one expected him to be so open about his feelings.

"…You are blinded by misplaced emotions, Knux. You don't need me to live," Feena muttered with a roll of her brown eyes.

"Feena, you're not thinking clearly. Depression is keeping you from seeking logic. You're in a dark place that you can't get out of on your own. Let's go somewhere safe at ground level and talk, and then well see what we can do to bring you into the light again, okay? Please don't do anything you'll end up regretting. Please let us help you," Amy pleaded, trying to reach her former best friend through the darkness clouding the female fox's mind.

Feena looked at the ground. "…I'm…beyond saving…"

Then, unexpectedly, she ran forward, shoving past Sonic and Knuckles by taking advantage of their shock. Before any of them could stop her, she was leaving Angel Island as quickly as she could. True, she wasn't jumping to end her life and was taking the safe route down, but it still unnerved them that she wanted to get away from them so badly despite their friendship. Sonic made to go after her before she could get too far, but someone appeared that caused him and the others to stop in their tracks.

"What has happened to Feena?" Shadow inquired, standing upon the Master Emerald with his arms crossed over his chest.

"…I don't know, Shadow, but I don't like it. If it keeps plaguing her like this, I don't think it's going to end well. We have to help her before it really is too late," Sonic told him though he was unsure if telling the dark hedgehog that much would do any good.

Shadow nodded. "We had better go after her then."

"What good could you do?! You're part of the reason she's like this!" Knuckles snapped, glaring vehemently at the minion of Eggman. "If you hadn't kept rejecting her feelings while staying so close to her, she might not have been consumed by depression as badly! We could have reached her better then! Do you ever think of anyone other than yourself and your pain?! Of course not, you greedy bastard! All you ever think about is that Maria you lost and how much it hurts to be alone! You never did give a damn about Feena before, did you?! Why start now?!"

Shadow glowered at the echidna. "Don't talk to me like you know me."

"I don't have to know you to know you're a manipulative bastard!" Knuckles retorted.

"Guys, we don't have time for this! Feena needs us!" Star interjected.

Knuckles turned his back on Shadow and set his mind on what mattered. "…I'll deal with you later. Believe me, you deserve more than what I've dished out in the worst way. But right now, my best friend needs to be saved, and I'll do anything to see her as herself again…Even if it means working with someone like you. Unlike you, I actually care about her more than I care about myself."

Then without another look at the others, Knuckles sped after she who held his heart, hoping he might be able to pull her out of the darkness without anyone else's help.

* * *

Feena ran and ran until she was back in the Green Hill Zone and far from Angel Island. Out of breath and despite being unsure if the others were lost to her, she collapsed to the ground. Her body gasped for air and trembled uncontrollably, and even she wasn't sure if it was from the running or from her emotions. She could not bring herself to rise even knowing that it was only a matter of time until someone caught up to her, namely Sonic with his speed; her body just couldn't move any further. Being caught by them would definitely ensure her survival, which, in her current state of mind, was the last thing she would ever want.

Remembering the gun she usually kept hidden under her pants against her left leg, the white fox removed it from its hiding place and stared down its barrel. It was fully loaded in case of dire emergencies, and thus it could take of things very easily. She only worried about how much it would hurt to be shot, but figured it couldn't be any worse than the death she intended for herself earlier where her fragile little body would have hit the ground of Mobius after falling a great distance.

_Let my loneliness and my pain be taken away now, _Feena thought sadly, resting the barrel of her gun against her forehead and placing her pointer finger on the trigger. She closed her eyes and prepared to be set free.

Before she could pull it, however, the gun was knocked violently from her hands and landed safely on the ground several yards away. Her eyes flashed open to meet a pair of crimson ones staring down at her from the dark face of Shadow. The hedgehog had found her; she hadn't expected him to team up with her so-called friends to attempt to save her. But he was too late to change her mind, and thus the white fox made to move towards her gun again. Shadow intercepted her immediately and grabbed her arm, forcibly pulling Feena to her feet and away from the thing that could put an end to her forever.

"What has gotten into you, Feena? Why are you behaving like this?" Shadow wanted to know, forcing her to meet his demanding gaze.

"Do you think I wanted to go down this path?! Do you think I want to behave this way?! Of course not! But my mind is consumed by darkness and my heart is weak and it hurts so much! This suffering…It's killing me! I cannot suffer any longer! Just let me go!" Feena snapped as she struggled against his grip just as she had struggled against Knuckles' not too long ago.

"No. I will not allow you to do this to yourself or to those that care about you," Shadow told her bluntly, not the slightest bit fazed by her struggling.

"Why does it even matter to you?! You don't care about me!" Feena claimed.

"That's not true. I do care about you. You are a friend, Feena…One of the only ones I have ever had, and you are perhaps the only one still alive. I have watched so many of those I cared about perish without having any way to save them, and I'll be damned if I stand by while another one loses her life. I have the power to protect you, to provide a light in this darkness that has seized you. Now stop fighting me," Shadow told her.

"You're too late, Shadow! The time for that has-!"

"It's never too late," Shadow cut in. "As long as there is still life in you, it will never be too late. You will realize that if I have to drag you kicking and screaming back to the others. Make this easier for yourself and just come quietly."

"You would like that, wouldn't you? You want me to give up on ending my misery just so you can watch me suffer. It's not enough that I've bared my heart to you only to have it stomped on, but now you have to take away my chance to be free. You won't have me around but you don't want me gone. Make up your damn mind already, you psychotic hedgehog," Feena growled bitterly. She never thought she would sound so angry when talking to that red-eyed Mobian, but today had been full of emotional surprises, so it wasn't so surprising to be unbelievable.

"…Do you really believe me to be such a heartless bastard?" Shadow asked with a hint of sadness in his voice as his gaze softened.

"Why do you ask such a thing of me?" Feena inquired, taken aback by the touch of emotion he displayed now.

"The way you and Knuckles speak to me…It's almost like you believe it's my fault you're falling apart. It's true that I have not returned your feelings, but I thought we could move past that to maintain the bonds we already had. I figured our friendship might be worth more to you than a possible relationship that could blow up in our faces. I believed that and I thought you did, too. Is it possible that my rejection of you has contributed to this depression overtaking your life? That is something only you could tell me."

"…What if I don't want to tell you?"

"Then you will continue to suffer and I will continue to wonder at the truth."

Feena ceased in her struggle to free herself from Shadow's grip and became limp in his hands, not even feeling like she could stand anymore. Shadow allowed her to fall forward into his arms, something she doubted he would have done if she was not so emotionally and mentally unstable. She felt so empty, so weak, so sad, that she couldn't keep herself from letting tears come back into her eyes. She didn't want to cry, especially not in front of him, but a river had been unleashed that refused to be held back for anything. She tried to fall to the ground away from him, minding his feelings enough that she didn't want to bother the hedgehog with her tears. He wouldn't allow that. Gently and ever so kindly, the dark hedgehog pushed her body against his and placed her face in his chest where she could cry more comfortably. She was shocked even in her presently depressed state by his kindness…It was so unexpected. Did such an angst-ridden man really care this much about her without having room in his heart for her as more than a friend? Was it even possible that friendship could delve so deep without crossing the borders into the more-than-friends territory?

She didn't know, but she was willing to find out.

"…Shadow…Help me…," Feena whimpered weakly from his arms.

"Are you done trying to run?" Shadow asked.

The white fox nodded once and whispered, "…Yes…"

He moved her down to the ground so she could sit and took his place beside her. She tried to respect his space and just pulled her knees up to her chest for comfort, but he knew that at that moment she needed contact with another being and thus wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She eventually gave up on trying to respect boundaries and fell into him, allowing her body to mold itself perfectly to his, and he let it happen. For the longest time she just lay in his arms and cried, letting the salty droplets fall down her face onto him, hating herself with each one that dampened his dark fur. She wanted to apologize for this, but her mouth refused to form the words and thus she was unable to say even a single word to him. All she was capable of was crying.

Shadow waited patiently for her to cry herself out, and while he did the others that cared for Feena watched them from a distance for fear their arrival might frighten Feena back inside herself. As he did his best to help a friend, the crimson Guardian of the Master Emerald could only helplessly watch someone he didn't trust take care of the girl he cared for more than anything with fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white beneath his gloves.

"…Do you know why the darkness has come into your mind?" Shadow inquired of her when her sobs finally died down. "All darkness…stems from something. In most cases, darkness stems from unhappiness and stimulates its growth with pain. So what has made you unhappy and hurt in the recent past?"

Feena sniffed. "…I saw my ex fiancé with Rouge at a club a couple of weeks ago. Spike and Rouge…They looked so happy together. They could hardly keep it PG-13 on the dance floor." At this, Feena smiled awkwardly and laughed a bit hysterically. "…I know she's just using him until she gets bored of him…but…Spike was mine. I loved him with all my heart. And it wasn't enough. He rejected me when she…took him from me, and… I've been alone ever since. I used to be so happy…so different than I am now. Just ask Amy. She knew me when I was happy with my boyfriend, which was obviously before she became Sonic's fan-girl. But then I had my heart shattered…and I hardened it to anyone that might do it harm.

"I've done my best to keep out everything. Anyone can testify to that who's known me long enough…and I did well enough. But then…a fateful day in space, I met someone who changed me against both of our wills…And for him, I even risked my life and was captured by one I hated…Despite knowing him, I risked so much just to meet him. But you already know that since the guy I speak of…is you." Her brown eyes flitted up to meet his crimson ones for a moment before turning back down to the ground. "…I knew it could never happen once I heard about Maria…and later Molly…but I…I wanted to believe that maybe…if I loved you as much as I used to love Spike…then maybe…you would love me back and…I wouldn't be alone anymore. So I kept believing, like a fool, that somehow my feelings for you would change your mind and heart in my favor so I could be…happy again. Even now, a small part of me…holds on to that belief, foolish as it may be.

"But then you rejected me and put me down as easily as you could, and I…did my best to let go and move on with my lonely life. It…It hasn't been easy…Not at all. I managed, but…Seeing Spike and Rouge sent me spiraling down. How could that whore be happy with him and never alone…? Why was I always left alone…? Why didn't anyone love me like he loved her…? I suppressed the sadness as best I could…and then the darkness crept into my mind. It started small with little influence, like all evil things do…And then small things helped it to grow, to fester, to consume me into the mess everyone beheld today. Because I am alone…and will always be alone out of reach of the light of love…I was in so much pain…and being seemingly abandoned by my friends…It pushed me over the edge, so to speak…"

Shadow took a moment to absorb all of this before speaking. "You are not alone, Feena. You have never been alone. The love of friends is greater than any other. A heart blinded by a desire to hold one dearer to it than friend may keep you from seeing that truth, but if you take a step back you will see that I am right. And do not believe yourself foolish for believing in something you deem stupid. The only fool in this scenario is Spike for casting you aside for someone as manipulative as Rouge."

"…Maybe you are right…But…The love we receive from one that cares for us more than as a friend…"

"…is more special than any other," Shadow finished for her. "Believe me, I know. I've experienced it a couple of times in my lifetime…and lost it as well. I understand your pain despite your loved one not being dead like mine. Losing them under any circumstances is…painful."

"Yeah," Feena feebly agreed.

"Don't fret. You will find that love again. Just be patient and it will find its way to you once more," Shadow assured her. "…But before you jump to conclusions…Do not expect me to be the one for you like that. I am not the one who should be in your heart. There is another who cares much for you already…Perhaps you should give him a chance before you waste your life away wishing for me to turn your way or suffering in the misery of loneliness. You know of who I speak."

"Yeah…but…I've only ever seen him as a friend. I'm not sure if my heart can be persuaded to see him differently," Feena admitted.

"Give it time. All you can do is try, and if it doesn't work out, then you'll just have to wait for your real love to arrive," Shadow told her. "Do you feel any better now that you have spoken with someone about what has been plaguing you? Is the darkness still there in your mind?"

"…A little, but its power has faded. Talking with you has pulled me back towards the light," Feena replied with a smile. "Thank you, Shadow."

"I would do anything to preserve the life of my friends," was Shadow's response.

"I'm grateful for that bond we have, and I'm sorry I was so cruel when the darkness controlled me. I…did not mean to claim such terrible things about you."

"When one is wounded and in a great deal of pain, one will do things one would not do otherwise to keep from being further hurt and to hurt others. It is the nature of the living that possess a heartbeat. Do not apologize for being alive and acting like all other creatures like yourself. Be grateful that you are still like everything around you instead of nothing more than a lifeless pile of flesh and bone."

"…I…don't know how to respond to that, Shadow."

The dark hedgehog and white fox stood and dusted the dirt from their fur and clothes before looking at each other in silence. Feena saw the others standing in the distance and realized they hadn't been as alone as she had thought before. They were too far away to have heard anything, though, so they wouldn't know a thing that had transpired between her and Shadow. She wondered how worried they were for her. It was obviously enough to make them remain standing there for over twenty minutes. Shadow noticed her gaze and looked over his shoulder in the same direction.

"Return to the others. My concern for you may have ended, but theirs continues. You should tell them all that you told me and let them know you are yourself again. Put their worries to rest, Feena, and be at peace once more."

"…Will you not come with me?"

Shadow shook his head. "My part in this is over. I must return to hunting down the Chaos Emeralds. When I discovered you were in trouble, I came to help you, but now that you are safe, there is nothing standing in the way of my duty."

Feena nodded. "I understand, Shadow. Thanks again, and good luck with your hunt. Just promise me you won't use the power of the Emeralds to destroy the world or go after Sonic or do something stupid like that, okay?"

"You know I can't make promises like that," Shadow stated with a small smirk.

He then withdrew the crimson Chaos Emerald seemingly from thin air and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Feena didn't want to see him go so quickly after he had helped her to move on from the darkness, but there was no stopping him. They were worlds apart in the heart and mind, and she couldn't waste her life away on a dream where she and he could be together as more than friends. She also couldn't lament her mistake with Spike forever. She had to go on with her life and find a way to stay strong when life decided to knock her to the ground. That way lied with her friends.

She took off towards them before they could even think of coming her way—she could not recall having ever run as fast as she did then—and tackled the first person she reached to the ground. That happened to be Sonic, and since the group was so clustered together, when he was knocked down he knocked others down until they were all lying on the ground in a giant pile. If anyone else had done something like that, several people would have been riled up and ready to fight. But since it was a formerly hurting Feena that had done it, they easily forgave her and laughed along with her as she continued to smile.

The white fox quickly explained everything to them that she had just told Shadow, only leaving out some unimportant details if she deemed them to be so. They all seemed to understand, if even a little, how difficult it must have been for her to see someone she once loved happy with someone else and how that could have made her as depressed as she was before. She then proceeded to thank them for trying to help her and hugged each person as tightly as she could beginning with Fang.

The last person she turned to for an embrace was Knuckles the Echidna. He had a hard time meeting her gaze; she assumed it was because it had been difficult for him to watch someone like Shadow be the one that saved her from the darkness when he could not do so himself. She took his hand in both of hers and pulled the echidna off to the side to grant the duo some privacy from the others, thinking that if she hadn't been so foolish before then maybe it would have been Knuckles that could have made sense return to her. He followed her without a word, violet eyes on the ground, never looking at her for even a moment.

_Maybe it's not just from watching me be saved by one he despises. Maybe it's also because of how I reacted to him when I was depressed that he cannot look at me, _Feena thought sadly, losing her smile as she recalled the things she said to her best friend and her attempts to end her life right in front of him. _I'm so sorry, Knuckles…_

"…How are you feeling?" Knuckles asked her.

"Are you all right?" Feena asked at the same time.

"I'm not the one who was in a dark place," Knuckles pointed out.

"I'm not the one who was attacked by their best friend," Feena countered.

"You were not in your right mind."

"You were not meant to be hurt for that."

Knuckles sighed. "Are you going to keep countering me, or are you going to answer my question?"

"Are you going to keep making comments that I can counter, or are you going to answer my question?" Feena retorted with a small smile.

"I'm fine," they said at the same time.

"Well, you could have fooled me, Mr. Grumpy-Faced Echidna," Feena remarked. "Look, about what happened earlier…I'm really sorry. You're not a bastard and you obviously do care about me. And…I'm sorry for kneeing you in your crotch and trying to off myself twice in front of you. Seeing me like that…It must have been hard for you."

"…It was hard for all of us," Knuckles told her.

"But it was especially hard for you because of your heart," Feena stated, taking his hands in hers and causing him to meet her gaze at last. "I was hurt and I hurt you. You, who care for me as much as you care about the Master Emerald, did not deserve that. Please forgive me for my foolishness, Knuckles. I failed you as a friend. I do not deserve forgiveness, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Knuckles gave her a wan smile. "Don't be silly, Feena. Of course I forgive you. And if you want me to clobber Spike and Rouge for being the catalysts to all of this, just tell me. I'll go do it now if you'd like."

Feena laughed. "There's no need for that…yet."

"It's good to see your smile. After what happened earlier, I was afraid I'd never see you happy again," Knuckles admitted, turning a little red as the words left his mouth. He quickly turned his face away from her in hopes that she wouldn't catch on, but it was too late to hide it.

"That makes two of us," Feena said.

"You know, if you're ever feeling down, you can always talk to me. That way we can take care of it before something like this happens again," he commented as he faced her once more.

The white fox beamed and moved forward to wrap her arms around Knuckles. The echidna was stiff and awkward at first, but then he returned her hug just as tightly.

"Thank you for caring so much about me, Knux. You are the greatest friend anyone could ever have. How I managed to get in your heart is beyond me, but thank you for letting me in and being so protective of me. I am forever in your debt."

"Friends don't hold each other in debts."

"You know what I mean, Knuxxie."

"…You're welcome, Feena."

"You know," Feena added as she looked up at Knuckles and rested her chin on his chest, "Shadow gave me some interesting advice while I was talking to him. He told me that if I didn't want to be alone, I should give someone a chance…someone that cares about me very much…instead of waiting around for the slim possibility of Shadow turning his heart to me. I wasn't sure a moment ago if I could think of this guy as more than a friend since my heart has only seen him as that…But now, I think…I'm willing to try."

"Feena, what are you saying?"

"You know what I'm saying, Knuxxie."

"Yes, but I want you to say it."

"…Knuckles, would you like to try to be with me in the romantic way?"

"…Really?"

"What?"

"That's how you ask someone out?"

"Maybe."

"No wonder Spike left you."

"Hey!"

"I was just kidding! Sheesh! Why can't you just ask me out like a normal Mobian?"

"Because I'm not a normal Mobian."

"Well, that's kinda obvious."

"Knuckles the Echidna, will you please go out with me?"

"See? Was that so hard?"

"Will you just answer the damn question before I change my mind?!"

"How's this for an answer?"

"Knuckles, what are you do-?"

The violet-eyed Guardian hesitated no longer—he had been waiting for this moment for a long time and wasn't about to pass up a good opportunity. He pressed his mouth up against Feena's and engaged her in a passionate embrace, shocking her slightly by his boldness. He didn't care if anyone was watching. He had been denying his heart this moment for so long and it was time to give into desire. Feena felt all of this and more from the way his lips moved against her and found herself intrigued by such passion in the heart of one so constantly filled with rage. She had thought he would kiss roughly, too, but he was surprisingly gentle. She had misjudged him, a mistake she would never make again, she vowed, as she melted into him.

He pulled away from her a moment later and rested his forehead against hers, causing their noses to touch.

"You have my answer, Feena. I hope it's good enough for you."

"…It'll do, Knuxxie. It'll do."

* * *

The next night, Feena took the stage with Star and Fang up on Angel Island. It hadn't been hard to convince Knuckles to let her hold a concert on his precious solitary island—and it wasn't just because they were dating now—and the whole of the place was crawling with their fans that had been waiting for the band's return to the limelight. Feena played her heart out on the strings of her guitar while singing with all her might, Star rocked the keyboard, and Fang pounded those drums for the first time in months, giving the crowd what they had been looking for and then some.

Feena would have liked to believe that they would have performed this well any day or night, but she knew it was because she had been to her darkest point and back that she and her friends had such energy. If not for her fall from grace, they would have never had anything to fight for and thus had no victory. That victory, that triumph over loneliness, fueled them more than a trillion cheers from fans ever could. Her heart swelled as she belted out the lyrics to songs, more than it had ever done before.

"This next song," she told the audience as Star and Fang began to play the music, "is originally done by an Earth band by the name of Evanescence. It describes where I am and where I've been at this moment, and I hope you enjoy our version of Swimming Home. You guys are freaking terrific."

And then she sang:

"_Way down, I've been way down_

_Underneath this skin_

_Waiting to hear my name again_

"_I'm sorry_

_Nothing can hold me_

_I adore you still_

_But I hear them calling_

_And nothing can hold me_

"_Way down, all the way down_

_I will hear your voice_

_But I'll no longer understand_

"_I'm sorry_

_Nothing can hold me_

_I adore you still_

_But I hear them calling_

"_I was looking to the sky_

_When I knew I'd be swimming home_

_And I cannot betray my kind_

_They are here_

_It's my time_

"_I'm sorry_

_Nothing can hold me_

_I adore you still_

_But I hear them calling_

_And nothing can hold me."_

"Feena, that was kinda depressing," Star remarked after the cheers from the crowd went down. "Where you directing that at Shadow to let him know that even though you still like him, you're happy with your friends and Knuckles?"

"Why does everything have to go back to Shadow with you?" Feena demanded as the crowd laughed.

"Forget about that. Let's play something with a bit more flavor and a lot more happiness. Let's do Marry the Night by Lady Gaga from Earth," Fang suggested.

The white fox leader grinned. "You got it, Fang."

"_I'm gonna marry the night_

_I won't give up on my life_

_I'm a warrior queen_

_Live passionately tonight_

"_I'm gonna marry the dark_

_Gonna make love to the stark_

_I'm a soldier to my_

_Own emptiness, I'm a winner_

"_I'm gonna marry the night_

_I'm gonna marry the night_

_I'm gonna marry the night_

"_I'm gonna marry the night_

_I'm not gonna cry anymore_

_I'm gonna marry the night_

_Leave nothing on these streets to explore_

"_M-M-M-Marry, m-m-m-marry_

_M-M-M-Marry the night_

_Oh m-m-m-marry, m-m-m-marry_

_M-M-M-Marry the night_

"_I'm gonna lace up my boots_

_Throw on some leather and cruise_

_Down the street that I love_

_In my fishnet gloves, I'm a sinner_

"_Then I'll go down to the bar_

_But I won't cry anymore_

_I'll hold my whiskey up high_

_Kiss the bartender twice, I'm a loser_

"_I'm gonna marry the night_

_I'm gonna marry the night_

"_I'm gonna marry the night_

_I'm not gonna cry anymore_

_I'm gonna marry the night_

_Leave nothing on these streets to explore_

"_M-M-M-Marry, m-m-m-marry_

_M-M-M-Marry the night_

_Oh m-m-m-marry, m-m-m-marry_

_M-M-M-Marry the night_

"_Nothing's too cool_

_To take me from you_

_New York is not_

_Just a tan that you'll never lose_

"_Love is the new_

_Denim or black_

_Skeleton guns_

_Are wedding bells in the attic?_

"_Get Ginger ready_

_Climb in El Camino front_

_Won't poke holes in the seat with my heels_

_Cuz that's where we make love_

"_Come on and run_

_Turn the car on and run_

"_I'm gonna marry the night_

_I'm gonna burn a hole in the road_

_I'm gonna marry the night_

_Leave nothing on these streets to explore_

"_M-M-M-Marry, m-m-m-marry_

_M-M-M-Marry the night_

_Oh m-m-m-marry, m-m-m-marry_

_M-M-M-Marry the night_

"_Oh m-m-m-marry, m-m-m-marry_

_M-M-M-Marry the night_

"_I'm gonna marry, marry_

_I'm gonna marry, marry_

_Come on, come on, the night."_

"Thanks, everyone! You've been a wonderful audience!" Feena called after singing the last note of Lady Gaga's song.

She dropped her mike to the floor of the stage along with her guitar and jumped off the stage like she was about to crowd-surf. But instead of being caught by a fan, the red Mobian who guarded this island and the Master Emerald plucked her right out of the air, holding her in his arms as a man might hold his bride. It had been planned that they leave this concert in style, after all, and what better way to leave than in the arms of her new squeeze? Star had jumped up into the air to land on the nose of Tail's plane without fear of the wind blowing her skirt up, and Feena had leapt onto the shoulders of Sonic as he sped by. Their means of leaving were slightly more exciting, Feena admitted, but she didn't care.

All that mattered now was that she knew…

_I'm not alone._

* * *

_A/N: The end of another **Sonic** One-Shot. I know that writing this helped me to get out of my bad, depressing mood, so that's good and therefore I think this story was worth it. What did you think of this? Please tell me without flaming, okay? Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day._


End file.
